I fainted, and it was entirely my fault.

By Anonymous · Dec. 08, 2009

I arrived at blue banana half an hour before I was going to get pierced, because they needed to sterilize the jewellery they were using for my navel piercing. I was asked to fill out a form and show a form of identification. After this the deputy manager of the store asked if I had eaten lunch that day, I lied and told him I had, which was my major mistake regarding this piercing. He advised me to have a sugary drink and return to the store in 30 minutes. I paid for the piercing, and headed to a newsagents to buy a drink and kill some time.

25 minutes later, I had a cigarette and returned to the shop where I was told to go upstairs to the piercing studio. In the waiting room was a very nervous looking girl and her boyfriend who were also waiting for a piercing. The girl was called into the studio before me and 20 minutes later walked back into the waiting room with a smile on her face, which boosted my confidence about the competence of the piercer, who I had not been pierced by before. They left the shop and I was left waiting with my friend for another 15 minutes, while I assume the studio was cleaned, hands were washed and gloves were changed.

I was called into the room and told to lift up my t-shirt so she could clean the area and mark out where I was going to be pierced. After this was done, and I was satisfied with where she had marked the piercing I was asked to lie down with my t-shirt up. She asked if I was ready and my nerves kicked in for the first time since I had decided to get this piercing. I replied "as ready as I'll ever be" and she clamped my belly button. She took the needle out of the packaging, told me to take three deep breaths, and began to push the needle through whilst I was taking the third.

After a few seconds she told me I had very strong stomach muscles, and I looked down to see that she was struggling to push the needle all the way through the small piece of flesh she had clamped. I felt pain for the first time when I looked down and saw the sheer force she was using to get the needle through my skin, but this was short lived as she got the needle through after I relaxed my stomach muscles. I was told to look away as she cut the needle, but being intrigued as always I decided I would watch anyway. Then came the jewellery, I was warned that I might feel a punch as she put the barbell through my fresh piercing, but again I felt nothing. As she screwed on the ball to the top of the stud she tickled my belly, which caused me to giggle. This brought on the second pang of pain as the piercing was moving as she was trying to screw on the ball, so I looked away and concentrated on not laughing.

She told me I was done so I stood up slowly and pulled my t-shirt down. She spoke to me about aftercare, which was pretty standard; salt dissolved in pre-boiled water, don't play with the piercing etc, advice on what to do if it became infected, and how long I should wait before changing the jewellery. I listened, thanked her for the piercing and left the studio.

As I entered the waiting room I felt incredibly light headed and sat down next to my friend, told her I felt faint and asked if she had anything sugary I could eat or drink. She handed me a lollipop which I was unable to open, so opened it for me. This is the last thing I remember before I woke up, apparently 20 seconds later, with my friend's arm around me and a couple of staff looking concerned. I had no recollection of passing out or even any realization of any time passing so when my friend asked if I was okay I was confused as to what she meant. I looked around and realised the staff standing around me weren't there when I had left the studio. I felt really warm but apparently was very cold to the touch. I was given a glass of water by a member of staff, my friend gave me another lollipop  I had dropped the original one when I fainted  and was told to sit with my head between my legs. This advice worried me as I had recently finished a first aid course in which we were
told this was the worst thing to tell someone who had fainted to do, and it worried me that the woman who had just shoved a needle through my belly button clearly did not have up to date first aid training. Obviously I ignored her advice, and lay on my back with my legs slightly elevated until I felt less faint. I sat up and drank my water, and the deputy manager who I had spoken to earlier came to make sure I was alright. My friends dad came to pick me up and take me home as she had told him what had happened, and I finished the lollipop as I was waiting for him. After a 45 minute journey home I was feeling a lot better and was getting increasingly embarrassed about passing out after a piercing, which wasn't even my first. I got home and for the first time looked at my piercing, which looks absolutely perfect. I can't feel any pain yet, but I only had it pierced this afternoon, so I'll wait until tomorrow morning before the pain.

I was very impressed by the hygiene and competence of the piercer, although a little disheartened by her evident lack of first aid knowledge, something which one would expect a piercer to have at least basic knowledge of in case of situations like mine.

The main moral of my story is do not ignore advice to get pierced on a full stomach. The adrenaline rush caused by a piercing causes your sugar levels to drop significantly, so it is important that they are high to begin with. I would also advise taking a sugary drink into the studio with you in case you are unable to unwrap a lollipop. Overall a good experience besides my blatant disregard for the importance of eating first.

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submitted by: Anonymouson: 08 Dec. 2009in
Navel Piercing

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Artist: +Studio: blue+bananaLocation: nottingham

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